The Sleep Society (TSS) will be supporting a series of long term public awareness initiative, intended to highlight the importance of sleep across health, safety, and everyday life for both the individual and society as a whole.
The idea of SleepSafeBC arose prior to the growth and consolidation of the sleep society as early as 2019 and was formally proposed 2024-25.Through public education, professional engagement, and community initiatives, the aim is to increase awareness of sleep as a fundamental pillar of health and wellbeing.
At the beginning of each year a new initiative is proposed to build on the previous years program, although they may represent a different area of health and safety. The new initiative will be submitted to the World Sleep Society for their World Sleep Day in March/April time in order that it may act as a potential initiative or supportive foundation for the many countries involved. It will have a professional unveiling at the Sleep Kelowna meeting in April and appear in later presentations. The Sleep Society invites sponsors and partners in these health and safety programs. It is hope that these ideas may help other groups too and TSS remains open for such conversations. We thank everyone who has supported these ideas.
The programme began in 2025 with REST (Rethinking Existing Seasonal Time changes), reflecting growing concerns surrounding Daylight Savings Time and its impact on sleep disruption, alertness, health, and public safety.
In 2026, The Sleep Society launched DDAD (Drowsy Driving Awareness Day) in recognition that Canada, unlike many other countries had little if any public awareness of the impact of sleep impairment to the risks to all road safety. Sleep impairment affects judgement, reaction time, concentration, and decision making, yet remains an unrecognized factor in road safety.
In British Columbia, TSS continues its efforts to introduce the concept of sleep impaired driving to the province’s automobile insurer, ICBC, where recognition and formal consideration of sleep related impairment remain limited.
It is estimated that between 65-70 people die tragically yet unnecessarily in sleep impaired driving. Currently ICBC have no mention of the dangers of Sleep Impairment specifically.
https://icbc.com/road-safety/crashes-happen
Through education, collaboration, and public engagement, DDAD aims to increase awareness of the impact of sleep deprivation on judgement, reaction time, and decision making, while emphasizing the importance of sleep health and alertness as essential components of safer roads and communities.